The Final Escape
by WinterSpark
Summary: Italy, alone and cracking, has been stuck in time loops for a long time, wanting nothing but to escape with his fellow nations. What happens when he gains a friend with a certain ghost princess? Can she help him find the ending he long ago desires? Rated T just to be safe. ;)
1. Ťhë Ğhö§ť Pŕīñçë§§

**I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project.**

* * *

 _Prologue:_

 _The Ghost Princess_

* * *

A woman dressed in a blue and white kimono stood a top of a hill, where her home, an enchanting looking temple lies. Her wavy pink hair beneath her mob cap seemed to move with the wind, touching her cheeks every once in a while. Using her fan that had an intricate design, she slowly fanned herself.

"Hmm.." Yuyuko Saigyouji stared down upon rows and rows of cherry blossom trees, looking deeply in thought. Looking down at the trees her gardener cared for usually calmed her soul, spiritually speaking. But right now, even looking at her domain could not calm the raging thoughts in her mind. With a sigh, the Ghost Princess of Hakugyokurou closed her fan as well as her eyes.

"Yuyuko-sama?" Yuyuko opened her eyes and glanced at her garderner. Youmu Konpaku may seemed as stoic as ever but her phantom half shifted restlessly, as if feeling agitated.

"Ah, Youmu-chan." She turned back to the trees below, a strange frown gracing her lips. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be fetching Yukari?"

"I was about to leave, when I see how... Silent you are." Youmu bowed her head. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, Yuyuko-sama. I couldn't help but ask if you are alright."

"Alright.." She repeated, giving the gardener a gentle smile. "I'm fine. It's not me that I'm worried about."

Used to the vague answer, the silver haired woman nodded, though the phantom half dipped it's head. "I see."

"I'm sorry I didn't give you a clearer answer, Youmu-chan. It's just... complicated." Yuyuko shook her head. "Thank you for asking. I always knew you cared, despite how emotionless you are."

"Yuyuko-sama!'

The ghost princess giggled, but even that died quickly. She went back to staring at the cherry blossom trees as Youmu bowed. "I shall take my leave, Yuyuko-sama."

A nod was given as a response. "Please be fast, Youmu. Even though this has nothing to do with Gensokyo matters, it concerns a supernatural power."

And just as the gardener was about to leave, she heard her mistress whispered.

"Apparently time in Gensokyo flows differently than the Outside World."

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **A rather short prologue, don't you think?**

 **Anyway, this will be a crossov** **er between Hetalia and Touhou, as you can see. But I will not be using the normal, canon crossover, no. This will be a HetaOni crossover. Bless that game, no matter how many tears I shed due to it.**

 **This came to me in a rather unexpected way. As I was listening to Insanity (Italy and Germany version) I began to think of how to create a crossover that isn't.. the same, ya know? Then I began imagining how Italy and Yuyuko would interact if they meet and it just expands from there.**

 **Updates will be irregular. Just an early warning. With all the things happening in real life, I'm busy as it is.**

 **Another thing, chapters will be longer, I promise.**

 **~Winters**


	2. Ä Mäťťęř öf Ťhę Öûť§îðę Wöřłð

**I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project.**

* * *

 _Chapter I_

 _A Matter of the Outside World_

* * *

The ghost princess stood there for what it seemed like a long time, just reminiscing her encounters with that particular man in the Outside World. She pondered about the ways to help him and his friends escape from that accursed mansion without facing death in the face. She knew, as she watched the petals fall from the trees, that her choices were limited and that she would need help from a particular Gap Youkai who would be certain to help her once she explained her predicament.

After a while, a familiar ripping sound was heard behind the pink haired woman. She turned around, unsurprised as a gap filled with eyes opened in thin air, and two woman exited. Youmu stumbled, not used to the type of transportation, and nodded at Yuyuko, walking back to the house when she gained her centre of gravity.

The other woman, however, closed the gap behind her. She wore a deep purple and white dress, adorned with red ribbons. Her pale pink mob cap, decorated with a long similar coloured ribbon, covered some of her long blond hair. She twirled her pink lace parasol within her hand as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Yuyuko, must you really wake me up at this hour? Chen was annoyed the she didn't get to sleep on her pillow again."

"Yukari-chan, I apologise for interrupting your time." The pink haired ghost gave a strained smile at her. "However, it's so nice to see you again, my friend."

"Anything for you, Yuyuko. Anything for.." The blonde yawned into her hand as she trailed off, blinking her eyes in an attempt to stay awake. "Though.. Youmu said that this has nothing to do with Gensokyo?"

"Indeed." Yuyuko walked past the youkai and slid open the back door, inviting the other in. "But first, why don't we talk inside? I fear this will be a long conversation."

...

The green dressed gardener gently placed down the snack consisting of rice crackers, as well as two cups of green tea for each women. Yuyuko's hands reached for the rice crackers, humming as she happily munched on them. Yukari, though, slowly sipped her tea before clearing her throat, placing the cup back on the coffee table.

"What concerns you so much that you feel the need to call me, Yuyuko? I know you don't simply call me on a whim, much less use your swordswoman to fetch me?"

Then, she gave a tired smirk. "Would it hurt you to call using the phone I gave you instead?"

"Why, this?" The ghost princess took out her pink cased mobile phone, smiling. "Certainly when one lives in a house with no electricity, they will need to reserve the resources, am I correct?"

"Remind me to renovate your home later, my friend, if I'm assuming that this is not the reason why you call me here?"

"Indeed." She agreed, shaking her head. "Once again, I apologise. I feel like this is too important to ignore. And I know you would be sleeping at this hour."

"Just how do you tell time in this realm?" Yukari pouted as the other shifted a giggle. It was true after all. Outside the Japanese styled home, the never ending darkness lit the sky.

"It's a wonderful perk when one rules Hakugyokurou."

The Gap Youkai was about to continue the small talk, when she noticed how tired her oldest friend looked. Forehead creased in deep thought and maroon coloured eyes seemed to plague with memories. It was as if that first time they met, all those years ago. Considering that she was a ghost, and Yukari knew that ghosts do not sleep, she was fairly certain that something was bothering her.

"You seem troubled, my friend. Is something the matter?"

Yuyuko pursed her lips, unsure of how to start this topic. It was necessary, however, she knew that much. Taking a deep breath, she hesitantly asked. "Have.. have you been to the Outside World recently?"

"No, I haven't." Yukari shook her head. "I've been hibernating the past few months. I've asked Ran to wake me up if something was wrong, and so far, there wasn't anything too important. Until Youmu woke me up, that is."

"I.. I see." Again, the pink haired ghost gave a strained smile at her. "I just thought that you would sense something, considering that this concerns the nations of the world."

Yuyuko could see. Despite the fact that she tried to hide it, the mere mention of the nations quipped her interest. The older seemed to sit up straight, violet eyes narrowed.

"What of the nations, my friend?"

"I have been... visiting them, per say." At Yukari's look, she elaborated. "You see, for a while now I've has this.. pull, a calling that brought me to this mansion. From my first visit there, I disliked the place. The air was thick with an ancient and dark magic. The hallways were filled with lost souls, begging me to release them. It was suffocating. A tragedy, even. I couldn't bear to be in there."

Healthy, fair hands softly squeezed pale, ghostly hands as Yuyuko continued.

"At my visits there, I've been trying to find out the cause behind these deaths. Exploring the mansion, asking every spirits who lingered in the mansion, looking through books in the library. And while I've found the latest... player, I still haven't found the mastermind behind this sick and twisted game!"

Yukari squeezed the hands reassuringly as the the ghost princess closed her eyes shut as she began to shudder, whimpers escaping her lips. The older youkai felt like this was a stop in their conversation, yet she needed to know; who was the latest 'player'?

"Yuyuko." She gently called out. The ghost did not seem to hear her though. "Yuyuko, who is the victim?"

Sniffing, Yuyuko gazed at her. What it felt like a long moment of silence passed before she finally answered. And when she did, the other felt ice cold dread coursing through her.

"It was.. Italy. Italy Veneziano."

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **What a cliffhanger :P**

 **I just barely reached the 1k minimum limit for the chapter. I feel like this chapter is merely filter for the plot. Next chapter though, hopefully we'll get to some exciting stuff.**

 **I don't believe I have the character wrong. From what I know, 99% Touhou is made up of fandom so... *shrugs* correct me if I'm wrong, I'll try to make sure they act accordingly. I have to write 3 version before I become satisfied with the results. The first version involved Yukari breaking down because I thought she'd be overprotective of Japan, ya know? The second is a little bit meh. It was alright, but not satisfying.**

 **Now, excuse me. It's 5 am in the morning. I need my sleep.**

 **~Winters**


	3. Ä Vî§îť ťö ťhë Mäñ§îöñ

**I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project.**

* * *

 _Chapter II:_

 _A Visit to the Mansion_

* * *

It was a cloudless day in the Outside World. The orange sun lit in the sky upon a thick and lush woodland, filled with tall and green trees. A large gap opened before three women exited, and the gap closed behind them. The maroon eyed ghost glanced at her surrounding as her swordswoman had her hands on the hilt of her katana, deep blue eyes scanning for possible threats.

"So this is the place that you talked about." Yukari opened her parasol, breathing in the forest air as she played with the red ribbons decorating the accessory. "Lovely. Let us take a walk, shall we?"

"Indeed." Yuyuko chuckled and lead the way, the two trailing behind. As they travelled, her mind thought back to the conversation back at Hakugyokurou.

...

 _The two youkai could feel the tension in the air. Yuyuko continued to weep, making the blonde woman reached to her side and gave her a one sided hug, murmuring reassuring words. It was only mere snippets, but Yukari could hear her talk about how she could not save the souls._

 _"Yuyuko, my friend." She said gently, squeezing the ghostly hands softly. "I need you to tell me anything you know. I promise you will be able to save them."_

 _She made sure to emphasize the word 'promise'. The other slowly recovered, sniffing before clearing her throat. "I apologise, Yukari-chan. I didn't mean to break down like that."_

 _"It's alright. I believe it's a natural reaction when someone is unable to save the one they love."_

 _"'The one they love...'" A bitter chuckle was heard from the pink haired princess. "I suppose that is true. Well then, perhaps I should start at the beginning."_

...

The ghost paused, noticing something did not feel right. Once again, she glanced around her surrounding, taking in every detail as she continued forward. The phantom beside the the gardener appeared to be restless, unable to sit still.

"Youmu-chan."

"Yes, Yuyuko-sama?"

"This is your first visit to the Outside World, correct?" A nod was given Yuyuko. "Why don't you take a look around? What do you see?"

"I see.." Youmu closed her eyes, sensing the surrounding area before opening them again. "This forest is nothing like when we explore outside of Hakugyokurou. While Gensokyo is always bright, here it feels dark. Over there, there were always birds chirping whilst the fairies plays around, but here, it is too quiet."

"A profound observation, gardener." Yukari twirled her parasol, giving them a playful smile. "It's as if there is no life in this woodland. Just like the infamous Aokigahara*, this place seems to be devoid of any life. Any sensible person would've known to run, but then, since when are humans sensible? Have you ever been there, Yuyuko?"

"The Suicide Forest? Why, yes." Maroon eyes gleamed, as if remembering a pleasant memory as she opened her fan, slowly fanning herself. "A couple of times. I'm always attraction to these places, remember? So many lost spirits can be found there. Perhaps I should bring you on my next visit there, Youmu-chan. Would you like that?"

"I-I'd rather not, mistress."

"Aww, don't be like that. I assure you, the place is fun!" A pause. "Well, as fun as a desolate forest can be, I suppose."

"The way you phrase it makes me feel even safer back at Hakugyokurou."

"Meanie."

"Maybe you should bring a souvenir instead. The place it, after all, at the base of Mt. Fuji." The Border Youkai piped in.

"Indeed! What type of spirits do you like, Youmu-chan? Maybe you'll finally have an apprentice to learn your skills."

"Yuyuko-sama!" The blue eyed woman protested, face turning red in embarrassment. The ghost princess chuckled, satisfied with the banter, though it would seem that Yukari was not pleased yet as she continued to tease Youmu.

"Pray tell, what kind of skills will she be able to teach?"

"Why, cooking, of course!" Came the immediate answer as Yuyuko nodded in agreement. "Cooking must be perfected first and foremost. Then, surely, come the others."

"Yuyuko-sama, Yukari-sama! Please stop it."

A sigh was heard as they trekked deeper into the forest. As Yuyuko looked back at her gardener, she saw that though her expression was back to impassive, the phantom that hovered near her was still red in the face. Silently giggling, the trio came to a stop in front of an old, rusty gate.

"So, this is the mansion?" A nod was all it took to confirm Yukari's doubts. The blonde stepped forward, intending to open the gate when she slammed into something unknown. She stumbled back, shocked as the ghost and half-human helped to steady herself.

Yuyuko asked, concern and a slight tinge of shock in her eyes. "Are you alright, Yukari-chan?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, the both of you." The youkai straightened herself and picked up her parasol, twirling in her hands. She had an amused glint in her eyes as she reached out her pointer finger, smirking when a near transparent wave rippled in thin air. "I had a feeling this was the cause. Yuyuko? Youmu?"

"Yes?"

"What is it, my friend?"

"Try placing your hand here, if you please."

The two youkai nodded and mimicked Yukari's movement. It was proven useless though, all of them reached the same conclusion as she did. The ghost princess brightly smiled, maroon eyes turning red before reverting back to its original colour.

"Why, this is mighty curious! Do enlighten me, Yukari-chan."

Yukari's hand, followed by the others, returned to its side. Closing her parasol, she muttered. "My best guess is that this border is designed to keep the youkai out, so that there will be no interference from the supernatural."

"Does that mean humans can enter?" A nod was given. The pink haired woman hummed before asking, confusion glittering in her eyes. "But, what of the nations? Aren't they considered as the supernatural as well? How did they enter the mansion?"

"That's what confuses me." The blonde woman shook her head, apparently mystified. "Nations, while they're immortal, there are also certain features that made them human. Perhaps it was that human trait that allowed them to enter. But then _, I_ should be able to pass through as well."

"I have a theory. What if this is the work of the mastermind? He could've created a border that grant access to the nations that he recognises and keeps others out."

Yukari gave it a thought, and nodded. "Plausible theory, my friend. But if we were to test this theory, we will need-"

The trio paused. The bodiless spirits that hovered around Yuyuko shivered, making the princess frown. before she could say anything, however, a pair of voices reached their ears as footsteps echoed behind them.

"Get off me, tomato bastard! Be serious for once, goddamnit!"

"But Roma~…Wait, who is that?"

The three youkai turned around. Approaching them were two men, both wearing what it seemed like military uniforms. The man on the left had dark brown hair with an odd curl on top of his front bangs and fair skin. He appeared to be attempting to pry off a tanned man with a lighter shade of brown hair, who was hugging him, while simultaneously walking forward.

"It appears we have guests." Yukari grinned, again opening her parasol and twirling it. "This should be interesting."

"Indeed." Yuyuko lightly giggled, still fanning herself as pale, ghostly hands started to glow. "Shall we give them a little scare?'

"That won't be necessary, Yuyuko. If your theory is proven correct, then they shouldn't be able to enter as well."

"You're no fun." A sigh was heard amongst the youkai. "Youmu-chan. You do remember our conversation**, don't you?"

"Yes... Unfortunately."

"Hola, chica!" The tanned man grinned as they came to a stop, while the other stayed back, watching. "What are you doing here? Don't you know this place is dangerous?"

"Yes, I am well aware of that fact." Youmu replied, sarcasm biting her words. "Why do you think I have a katana with me?"

"My, Youmu-chan! I didn't know you have it in you." Yuyuko piped in, giggling as the silver haired woman resisted the urge to sigh. The man continued to flirt with her swordswoman, oblivious to the comment. She was pleasantly surprised when the man with the odd curl spoke, clearly directing to her.

"I know you, don't I?"

...

 _When she finished her story, once again, she started to cry. The spirits turned purple, a colour well attuned with sadness. Yukari was silent the whole time, mind reeling with the information given. Of all the nations, Italy was willing to do that? She almost did not believe it, if it wasn't for the fact that her oldest friend, who was a ghost and always so cheerful, weeping with her hands covering her face._

 _Making up her mind, she asked. "Yuyuko, have you ever seen the mansion from outside?"_

 _"Well," The other cleared her throat, as her voice was hoarse. "I have seen how the outside looks like through the window."_

 _"Good." The Gap Youkai nodded, standing up. "I'm going to call your gardener. We are going on a field trip."_

...

"Oh?" She tilted her head, puzzled. "I've always known that normal humans can't see me. Have we, perhaps, met somewhere before?"

"No, It's- argh, how the fuck do I explain this?" He scratched his head, trying to find the right words to say. "I've seen you before, in my dreams. You're with Veneziano, right?"

"Vene- Oh! You mean Italy-chan?" She smiled brightly, like she was remembering an old friend. "Yes, I have indeed. You must be the brother he talks about. Konnichiwa, my name is Yuyuko Saigyouji, but you can call me by my first name, Yuyuko. This is my gardener, Youmu Konpaku."

She gestured at the green dressed woman, who was stepping back unconsciously from the tanned man, obviously feeling uncomfortable though she tried to hide it with a stoic expression.

"R-Romano. The idiot beside me is Spain." He muttered, a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks as Yuyuko gave a polite bow. "You say he's been talking about me?"

"Of course. During our time together, he always talks about his mean big brother who calls his friend a 'potato bastard'." The pink haired ghost could not help in a tease, lightly laughing when he looked away, muttering under his breath. However, Romano glanced back at her as she continued, a soft but sad smile gracing her lips. "But, know that he speaks fondly of you. I fear he may never act the same way after this incident."

"Yeah, no shit."

"Roma, who are you talking to?" Spain, who was nearing the silver haired woman as she backed off even more, asked, confusion lacing his voice. "You know there's no one there, right?"

"No one- Look carefully, tomato bastard!" He wildly gestured at both Yuyuko and Yukari as well, though it may seemed like he was waving in thin air in the other's eyes. "There's someone right here! Are you fucking blind?!"

"Don't bother, as long as he doesn't believe in the superstition, he will never see any of us." The blond youkai, who had been watching in amusement, finally decided to enter the conversation, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "Faith, unfortunately, can be hard to obtain once it is lost. As the world of science continues to expand, people's belief in legends gradually fades, until even nations will lose sight of myths, believing that they were just stories."

The Italian slowly calmed down as she bowed, a playful smile on her lips.

"I believe introduction are in order. Konnichiwa, my name is Yukari Yakumo, otherwise known as the Border Youkai. It's wonderful to meet a fellow nation."

"'A fellow nation?'" Romano narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He pointingly ignored Spain's question. "What are you talking about? What are you?"

"A magician never reveals his secret, my friend." Yukari played with the ribbons on her parasol as she gave a devious grin. "All will be reveal in due time. But alas, let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we?"

"Ah, how could I've forgotten?" The two youkai turned back to the gate as the ghost princess exclaimed, the nation following their gaze. Besides them, Youmu tried to avoid conversation with the Spaniard. Note on the word 'tried'. "What can you tell us about the barrier, Yukari-chan?"

"Nothing much can be told." She shrugged, softly yawning. "I've been analysing the border while you were having your talk. It's just as we discussed. And, Romano?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Try placing your hand at where mine is. Right here."

Skeptical, as he saw her hand in thin air, Romano tried to follow where the blonde hand's was. He stumbled backwards, almost tripping when he felt a wall as well as seeing rippling of waves spreading outwards. The Gap Youkai helped him steady himself.

"What the hell was that?"

"That, my friend, is a barrier." Yuyuko explained, glancing at them. "I believe my theory is correct, Yukari-chan."

"So it would seem." Yukari twirled her parasol, sighing. "Let us recollect the information we have. The border is designed to keep the youkai out, immortals alike."

With this being said, she briefly glanced at the Italian. Yuyuko nodded in agreement.

"This is to avoid any unnecessary trouble, no doubt about it. Because no one will be able to enter, the game continues on. But I have a dark feeling... That even if Italy-chan managed to get everyone out, they will still be trapped within the border. And thus, a 'restart' occurs once again."

"There is another fact that we overlook."

"What is it, my friend?"

"The barrier is at least several years old."

"Several years, that means... Since the... I see..."

The Ghost Princess of Hakugyokurou closed her eyes, looking as if she could cry. Romano cleared his throat, feeling left out from the exchange and wanting to distract the ghost.

"How did you meet fratello if you can't enter?" He asked. "And how can you remember the loops as well?"

"Why, that's because time in between here and Gensokyo, time flows differently." Yuyuko chuckled, wistful expression on her face. "I believe that, due to Gensokyo existing in a hidden reality, time continues to flow in one direction while this world is caught in a repeating cycle. Perhaps, because of this, I still remember vividly, from the first moment we met until now."

Maroon eyes gazed sadly as she said nothing more, and he nodded, satisfied with the answer. Suddenly, the ghostly orbs that hovered around the princess turned a dark red. Yuyuko frowned, laughing bitterly.

"My, these spirits seemed to think that they can do what they wished if no one supervises them. Youmu."

"Yuyuko-sama?" The half human, tired of the flirting, drew her katana as she yelled at Spain. "You ought to cease your pathetic attempts to court me if you wish to keep your limbs."

"Whoa! Relax, chica." Spain wisely obliged, backing off to stand near the Italian,who proceeded to push him off when he tried to hug him. Yuyuko gave a grim smile at the swordswoman.

"Do ensure that there aren't any riots going on. Find Red-White if it gets too serious."

"Understood, mistress."

"Yukari, if you please?"

The youkai, due to being in deep thought, absentmindedly waved her hand. A ripping sound was heard, and the nations went slack when a gap pinched with red ribbons at the ends opened. Without a thought, Youmu entered the gap, causing the Spanish man to yell as it closed.

"Tell your friend to calm down." Quietly, she gently cupped one of the red spirits in her hands, murmuring. "Youmu merely needs to take care of some trouble. And he's annoying the spirits with his incessant nagging."

With that being said, Romano promptly smacked the back of Spain's head with his hand, causing an argument to occur. Soon after that, Yukari snapped her fingers, smirking.

"I have come across two conclusions!" Then she noticed how everyone were busy. Glancing up at her oldest friend, Yuyuko shook her head. "What? Too soon?"

"It's nothing, my friend. What is it?"

"Like what I said earlier, I have come across two conclusions to solve this problem, maybe three."

Her voice caught the Italian's attention as he paused in the middle of his sentence, turning to face the Gap Youkai.

"Well? Tell us then."

"Roma, for the last time, who are-"

"Shut up, I'll explain later." An eyebrow was raised. "Well?"

"As I was saying, the first method requires me fetching my shikigami, Ran. I will need help to disable the barrier completely, for this border is very delicate and complex. The mastermind is obviously good at boundaries as I am. This, however, will take a while. The second method is that I will open a gap in the barrier for all of you to enter, and then find Ran to help me in disabling the barrier."

"And the last?" The pink haired ghost asked. Yukari sighed, shaking her head.

"Never mind the last. Which method do you prefer?"

The older youkai closed her eyes as a disappointed frown was directed at her. Yuyuko knew exactly what the last method was. Romano seemed to think before nodding.

"We'll go with the second." He said. "We need to get to my fratello as soon as possible."

"Indeed." The ghost agreed, as the spirit in her hands slowly turned back to its neutral white. She let it float back to her side. "Open the border. I believe we have spent enough time here."

"Alright then." The blonde woman placed her hand on the border, and the near invisible barrier began to glow purple. Slowly, but surely, a hole formed in front of them. Violet eyes opened, satisfied with the task as she took a step back. The nations stepped back in shock, but maroon eyes merely twinkled with amusement.

"Sometimes, I forget just how powerful you are, Yukari-chan. Perhaps it was because you like to spend your slothful days by sleeping that it caused me to come to this conclusion."

"You wound me, my friend. Do not compare me to the shrine maiden." She pouted, but smiled afterwards. "Be careful, all of you. I sense multiple curses inside and one of them, while it will only renders the immortals human, will also severely limit your abilities. Please be cautious when you use your manipulation of death, Yuyuko."

Romano cast a questioning glance at her, but she ignored it.

"Understood, my friend. Let us go."

The Italian entered the barrier, Spain following shortly behind, no doubt asking questions already. Yuyuko, with some of her spirits deep red in colour, was about to enter when a hand on her wrist stopped her. Looking at her, the blonde woman placed something in her hands, securing it by closing the fingers.

"I admit, I was planning to give this to him myself but... It appears that fate is too cruel for that. So can you do it?" She asked, face unreadable but violet eyes revealed everything the ghost needed to know. "And please... Keep him safe."

"Of course." A smile was given as she sighed in relief. "I am, after all, one of his citizens, remember?"

With the last words spoken, the pink haired ghost entered, and the barrier closed, leaving the three in a courtyard of a haunted mansion.

...

Elsewhere, at a certain western style mansion, a teenager with light blue silky locks reaching just above her chin, appearing to be only fifteen years old, glanced out the window as she paused, staring at the bright blue sky. She wore a white dress, but the unique feature about her was the two batlike wings spouting from her back. The silver haired woman, wearing an elegant french maid outfit, who stood beside her paused as well.

"Milady? Is something wrong?"

"Can you feel that, Sakuya? The strings of fate is moving... Something is happening. Try to find out what it is, can you?"

The maid beside her nodded and disappeared in an instant. She glanced back to the sky, a noticeable frown on her face.

"What could this be? Is this inside of Gensokyo, or no? Nevertheless, I'm sure the shrine maiden can feel it too."

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **Phew! Took me three days to finish. Betcha know which part of the game this is. :)))**

 **Aokigahara***

 **O** **therwise known as the infamous Suicide Forest. Apparently, due to how thick the forest is, anyone can easily find themselves lost in the forest. So, it became a prime spot for... ya know, people with suicidal tendacies. Even the authorities tried to lower the death rate by placing these sign post, asking them to think about what they had to lose. But so far, it wasn't really effective. I remember this one article I read, it said that there's actually a guideline on how to kill yourself. I was like, 'What the actual fuck?'**

 **"Youmu-chan. You do remember our conversation**, don't you?"**

 **Just as Yukari stated, as long as there isn't belief, the supernatural can never been seen. But, due to Youmu being half human, this caused her to be visible to the nations. Poor girl, probably not used to flirting too, being surrounded by girls and the dead alike.**

 **Next chapter will be coming up soon, probably!**

 **~Winters**


	4. Mëëťîñğ Äğäîñ Øñçë Möřë

**Thanks for the hundred views, guys!**

 **I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project.**

* * *

 _Chapter III:_

 _Meeting Again Once More_

* * *

The Hakurei shrine maiden swept the dry leaves on the stone ground, humming rather cheerfully. She wore a her standard miko uniform, consisting of red skirt, a sleeveless red top with a white collar, tied with a yellow ribbon as well as a pair of white detached sleeves which expose her armpits. Her long brown-black hair was tied back by a large red bow at the back of her head, and a couple of red tubes on her side bangs.

Her happy mood was due to one explanation. An incident had not occurred in a long time, and she felt rather pleased with that fact. If it was possible, she wanted for it to last throughout the year. She grinned at that thought of that happening.

Of course, there was the minor incidents she had to handle. The youkai of darkness, Rumia, tried to 'play' with an outsider who accidentally spirited into Gensokyo at which she had sent out back into the Outside World, after beating her up. Then, the idiotic ice fairy, Cirno, had challenged her to a fight once more, at which, again, she beat her down until she left, claiming that she would come back to challenge the maiden. Again.

A major incident, however, that had not happened for six months now. The last incident was when the Lunarians replaced the real moon with a fake moon. At which, of course, she... Did not really beat them to the ground, though she did asked them to stop whatever they were planning. At least that incident was resolved.

Optimism. She liked it. It certainly helped with the stress of her job.

A whoosh was heard as a black and white witch descended from the sky, jumping off her broom as she gave a loud and cheerful greeting.

"Yo! Reimu!"

Reimu Hakurei paused, glancing in something akin to annoyance at the person she called her friend. She was having a good morning, and with the arrival of Marisa Kirisame*, the infamous kleptomaniac witch, all hopes of having a peaceful day went crashing down.

"Marisa. Have you come to drop your stolen items here again?"

"Aw, c'mon. Don't say stolen. Borrowed, they're borrowed, da ze."

"I've received complaints from the Scarlet Mansion. Again." Reimu said sarcastically, placing her free hand on her hip. "Something about the stolen tomes. Oh, sorry. 'Borrowed'."

"Yup." The Monochrome Witch nodded and gave a thumbs up, as if she was proud of her achievements. "They can have it back when I kicked the bucket, da ze."

"Sometimes I just wonder..." A familiar tingle went down her spine as her famous Shrine Maiden of Paradise intuition told her something was stirring. She glanced around her surrounding, noticing how the shrine ground she stood on looked... off, somehow. Besides her, the witch asked, a curious look on her face.

"What's the matter? Famous intuition ringing again?"

"Yeah." Putting her broom into the temple, she searched for her gohei**, which was where it always was. "I'm going to take a look around. I swear I will beat up whoever's behind this."

"That you will. See ya." The black and white witch grinned, sitting down on the front porch, dangling her legs. "I'm just gonna chill here, da ze! Oh, where did you keep your food?"

"Don't ransack my home, you freeloader!"

...

"It's locked." Romano sighed in frustration before kicking the mahogany doors, which did little favours in opening. "Damnit."

"Why don't we look around?" The Spaniard asked, earning a nod of agreement from the ghost. "Maybe we can find another entrance to find your hermano."

"And I suggest we split up to cover more ground." Yuyuko piped in. "I do not sense any malevolent spirits lingering about. It seems that the attention is directed within the mansion."

"Still," The dark haired Italian gave it a thought, before shaking his head. "We stick together and go around the house. Keep an eye for anything suspicious."

They nodded, and followed as he started walking along the left side of the manor. Spain, walking on the right of him, curiously nudged the nation's rib, asking when he received grumbles as a response. "So, who was it you keep talking to? And what was that... hole?"

"I'll tell Yukari-chan that." The pink haired ghost giggled lightly as she cupped another deep red spirit that hovered around her, before briefly glancing at them. "Tell him that what he saw was a gap. Yukari's ability is to manipulate boundaries, hence why she was able to create gaps whenever she wants. It's her.. preferred method of transportation. Usually people does not have the natural means to see it, so he must've started believing in the supernatural to be able to see that. Give it time, and he will be able to see me as well."

"I'm not a messenger." Romano silently scowled but relayed the information. The brunette's olive green eyes widened as he began asking excitedly, causing the hot headed Italian to groaned as he tried to answer his question as best as he could. Yuyuko's laughter increased as she watched the banter, pleasantly chatting with the ghostly orbs that came with her, who all returned back to their pale white colour.

"I am curious, though." The Italian glanced at the ghost princess that was gazing at him expectantly. "Just how did you know about all this? My brief encounters with Italy, the mansion, the time loops."

He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Clearing his throat, and telling the Spaniard to quiet, Romano muttered. "I.. I don't really know. All I know is that I've been having these dreams. In some dreams, I keep seeing fratello trying to save his friends, breaking these clocks. In others though, I saw him talking to you."

They came to a stop as he continued. "I saw how curious he was the first time he met you. I saw how you made him smile for the first time ever since he got stuck in the damn loops. God, my brother is such a pain in the ass."

"He must be so lucky to have you."

"What?" His cheeks flushed red as he stammered. "What are you talking about?"

"I've heard about these types of bonds before." Glancing up at a tree, she reached out to a flower as it landed on he palm of her hand. "It appears that Italy-chan must have kept too many memories that he transfered some to you, whether it was intentional or not, I do not know. He was alone because he carried a burden that only became heavier with every repeating loop. I've seen scenarios when he tried to convince his friends to leave, when he tried to prevent deaths of his beloved ones... when he cried by himself with no one to comfort him. If you were not here to share that burden, I fear that he would have been broken a long time ago. He is lucky because he is not as alone as he thought himself to be."

Yuyuko placed the flower behind his ear as he stared, a mere breeze was felt as ghostly hand made contact with his skin. She stepped back, the playful smile back on her glowing face.

"So, let us together convince him that he is not alone anymore, yes?"

Feeling a rush of determination, he nodded, and started walking again. The two exchange stories, Romano, with Spain piping up even though he could not see her, telling about the other nations of the world coming to help the trapped nations, and Yuyuko explaining her abilities as well as short stories about her homeland, Gensokyo. At some point in the conversation though, the Spanish man was able to see her, exclaiming happily as he started flirting with her. Smiling nervously, she peeked a look at the Italian, silently asking for help.

"We're not here to fool around, tomato bastard." He said as Spain rubbed the back of his head, moaning in pain.

As the trio entered an orchard at the backyard of the mansion, the conversations went on before the dark haired Italian paused. He glanced around, earning looks of confusion as he asked the ghost.

"Yuyuko, do you sense souls?"

"Why, yes. Of course I- Hold on." She closed her maroon eyes, before pointing at a particular direction. "I sense a number living souls in that direction, all of which are underground."

The three shared a look, running to where she pointed to, hoping to finally find Italy and the rest of the nations.

...

A nation searched around the remains of the burnt ladder in the basement. He wore a blue military uniform and black boots, his auburn coloured hair had an odd curl dangling outwards. Frowning, he knelt to the ground in an attempt to see properly as he murmured under his breath.

"No... It's not here, after all." He stood up, sighing as he deeply thought aloud. "Where did I hide it again? Is it on the third floor?"

Furrowing his eyebrows when the memory resurfaced, he shook his head. "That was two loops ago when I hid it there. Maybe not. There's too many loops to remember. "

Feeling his inner anxiety reaching out, he slowly took deep breaths, leaning against the cave wall as he did.

"Deep breaths. I'll remember if I calm down. OK, there's that one piece where I hid it with America. I just need to find that first. It's at... Ummm.."

All of sudden, he jumped when a familiar voice shouted.

 _"I found you, Veneziano!"_

Sharply, Italy glanced up. Standing up on top of the burned out exit route were three people who were not supposed to be there.

"Romano, Spain and... Yuyuko... What are you doing here?!"

"My, it was certainly a good omen when the door refused to open, isn't it Roma-chan?"

"Yeah, we were just loitering around here." Romano knelt on the ground, peering to see his brother clearly. "I finally found you, fratello. What the hell have you been up to?"

Italy stammered, struggling to find words to speak. The Spaniard followed his movement, sighing in relief when he saw the auburn haired Italian unharmed.

"Ita! Thank God you're OK." Then he frowned. "What are you doing alone? Where's the others?"

"What are you doing here?!" Finally finding his voice, he yelled at them angrily. "You're not supposed to be here!"

Unfazed with the tone, the dark haired nation asked. "What did you do with the clocks, Vene? Did you break all of them?"

"T-the clocks? How did you know about that?" His eyes wandered to the pink haired ghost. "You told them, didn't you?!"

"Do not falsely accuse me, Italy-chan." She shook her head, a spirit behind her turning a light shade of purple. Impatiently, Romano yelled, effectively diverting the attention away.

"Answer me, fratello! Did you break the last clock?"

"N-now Roma, I know you're happy to see him." Spain held back the man when he was dangerously close to falling down a high cliff. The ghost too knelt down, smiling sadly down at the blue dressed Italian. "Try not to get too excited, alright?"

"I'm coming down, Veneziano! Fuck, tomato bastard, let me go!"

This was not part of the plan. He was supposed to find the missing pieces, get the key and open the door. None of this was supposed to happen. Feeling frustrated, Italy wildly motioned for them to leave, a rare angry expression on his face. "No! Don't come down, no matter what! Just leave! Go home!"

Out of breath, the Italian huffed, glaring at them. A moment of silence passed heavily upon them, before it was broken by his older brother's question.

"...Try saying my name."

His expression faltered, taken aback by the soft tone. Furrowing his eyebrows, he answered. "Romano.."

"No!" He yelled, causing the other to jump in fright. "Say my full name!"

"Your full name?" Confused, the auburn haired Italian responded, trailing off when he finally realised what his brother meant. "Italy Roma..no..."

"That's right! I'm Italy too." A warm smile graced Romano's lips, followed by Yuyuko's gentle laugh and Spain's bright grin. "Now, I may not know everything, but I plan on carrying at least some of the burden."

"Do you remember that promise we made, Italy-chan?"

 _Promise? What promise?_ He wanted to asked before a certain memory flashed before his eyes.

 _"And I promise to be there with you, until you find the ending you desire."_

"...Yeah..."

"You haven't been alone, fratello." Romano said reassuringly. "You have broken quite a few clocks, right?'

"Y-yeah.. But how.."

"The flow of time got fixed, that's how we got here. But that wasn't the only problem, you know!" The Spaniard began gesturing as he explained. "There's this huge barrier that blocks us from coming in."

"If it wasn't for Yukari's ablilty, we would never be able to enter." The youkai mused. "Now that I gave it a thought, in the past time loops, the other nations of the world probably tried to enter too, before being blocked out as the deaths continue, helpless to do anything..."

"Chica? You know it's not the right time to be saying that right?"

"I'm a ghost, and, as Yukari would say, deal with it. Death, after all, is part of my nature."

"It's not just us that's coming." The dark haired Italian smiled. "The entire world is coming to help you guys."

He took a deep breath and shuddered, opening the dam of emotions as tears lingered at the corner of his eyes. Spain patted his back with comfort as Romano spoke.

"You are such a pain in the ass, fratello. I've been trying to find you for ages! I-I couldn't call you, and when you finally answered, you hang up. An-and sometimes I felt this shock, like half of me disappeared. Every, single, time. You. IDIOT!"

When the initial shock of seeing them had wore off, the gears in Italy's mind started to turned. At first, he had thought that the ghost was the one who told them, but after seeing her sincere reaction, he overlook it. Perhaps it was because he had too many memories, that he unconsciously gave some to his brother.

 _But why_ , He thought, _Why did he have to come here? If fratello is here, if something happens to me-_

Flashes of the first time loop surfaced from the dark parts of his mind, forcing him to take a step back. From up above, the Italian frowned, noticing how silent his brother had become. Tentatively, he called out.

"Veneziano?"

"I'm sorry, fratello." The trio flinched at the lack of emotions in auburn haired nation's voice. "I have to go. Please, go home."

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **Another chapter done. Good job, me! *pats myself in the back***

 **Marisa Kirisame** From the number of fanfics I read that features her, she's been known to talk like South Korea.**

 **Gohei** otherwise know as the Purification Rod, is often used by shrine maidens to bless or sanctify a person or object in various Shinto rituals.**

 **Ahh, they finally meet. As you can probably realised, I changed the dialogue a bit. It's because that now we're entering the game, my mind limits itself to writing rather lame words to go with the dialogue. Which is annoying, since I want to write longer and, possibly, better chapters as well.**

 **Besides, I need to change so that it fits the plot better.**

 **Oh, and one more thing. Does any of you know where I can find a novelised version of the game? I need a reference point because frankly, I don't remember much.**

 **See ya!**

 **~Winters**


	5. Whëřę Ťhę Näťîöñ§ Węřę Ťŕäppęð

**I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project.**

* * *

 _Chapter IV:_

 _Where The Nations Were Trapped_

* * *

"Oi! Veneziano! Come back here, you bastard!" Instead the familiar blue figure ran further away as he yelled. Romano smashed his fist on the cold, stone ground in frustration, before standing up. "Alright, I'm jumping down."

"Wait, there's a ladder here." The Spaniard exclaimed, gingerly placing a foot on the sturdy rope ladder. The nation grinned. "Alright! Let Boss Spain handle this."

"Chigi. Just hurry up."

He started going down the ladder. The other nation watched, before noticing how dazed the ghost princess looked. Snapping his fingers in front of her, he asked gently. "Hey, are you OK?"

Shaking her head as to clear the raging thoughts, she gave a strained smile at him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Once again, it appears that I was overwhelmed by many lives were taken due to this mansion."

"You can go on, right?"

"Do not assume that I'm a delicate flower, Roma-chan. I assure you, I can handle myself just fine."

"Alright. Just making sure." The Italian smiled in relief before frowing lightly. ""'Roma-chan'?"

"Of course! Why, I give nicknames to all my friends! Yukari-chan, Youmu-chan and.. I'm afraid I don't have much interaction outside of Hakugyokurou." She was about to continue when she saw what Spain was doing, running there without noticing how the other had a light pink dusting his cheeks. "Er... Spain? I think you should know that in the time loop where I was involved in this scenario, the ladder is always-"

A yelp cut off her words as Romano ran to Yuyuko's side, peering down the ledge to see the brunette groaning with his back facing the ground. The pink haired ghost finished, a rather sheepish smile on her face. "-burned."

"Oi, tomato bastard." The dark haired man yelled, followed by the youkai question, a faint worried line appearing on her forehead. "Are you well, my friend?"

"Just great!" The Spanish man gave a thumbs up, beaming as he stood up. "Thanks for asking, chica!"

"I wonder if it hurts..."

"Fuck it, I'm going down." Romano started going down the ladder, this time with the ghost watching him. "I don't have time for this bullshit."

"Don't we all? Though, I find it very fortunate that I don't have to feel pain as much as these two." She murmured to her spirits, wincing as another yelp echoed throughout the cave. Spain glanced up as the grumbling nation stood, grinning happily.

"Jump, chica! I'll catch you!"

"Now, isn't that adorable." The pink haired woman giggled, amusement twinkling in her maroon eyes. "That is very gentlemanly of you, but unfortunately..."

The two watched as she floated down to them gracefully, landing with one shoe on the ground followed by the other. She smirked at the expressions they gave, an amused glint in her eyes. "I must emphasise the fact that I am a ghost. The natural laws of the world does not apply to us youkai."

"You could've at least said so."

"I did, didn't I? Mere moments ago." The other opened his mouth to retort before the dark haired Italian spoke, gazing down the dark tunnel.

"Enough chit chat. We need to find fratello."

The trio ran down the cave tunnel, Romano leading them. Just as they reached the door to what it appeared to be a basement, a glinting object in the dark caught the princess's interest. She stopped, calling for the other two to pause as well.

"Roma-chan, Spain. I see something there."

"What is it, chica?" The brunette knelt down and picked up the object, olive green eyes inspecting it. "A key?"

"Does it have a label?" Romano snatched the key, squinting his eyes to read properly. "It's so fucking dark here."

"If I may, Roma-chan?"

He showed her the label. She hummed, reading it rather easily.

"'Cell door key'. Why does Italy-chan have this with him?"

"You mean you don't know about this, chica?"

A shake of head. "Not to my general knowledge, no."

"Unless... That bastard."

The two glanced at him, looks of confusion written on their features. Then, realisation dawned upon the the youkai as she paled, gasping softly. Romano nodded, a serious look on his face.

"My brother wants to keep the others in a cell so that-"

"-So that he may find the escape route by himself..." Yuyuko closed her eyes, the spirits turning purple. "That fool... That stupid, reckless fool."

Spain broke the silence that heavily embraced them, standing up from his position.

"We should find the nations first. Who knows how strong the monster is now. Yuyuko?"

"Ah, so you do know my name. Follow me, I think I know where the cell is."

...

Reimu sighed as she floated down to the ground. The silver haired half human landed next to her, the same impassive expression on her face as the phantom circled around her at a relaxed pace. "I cannot thank you enough, Red-White, Blue-White. I would like to thank the Prismrivers as well, but..."

She gestured to her side, where the three ghostly sisters lay collapsed on the grass behind them, their musical instrument scattered about. Above them, Sakuya Izayoi, the maid who served the Scarlet Devil Mansion, landed next to them, holding her knives between her fingers. The shrine maiden shook her head, and crossed her arms.

"It's whatever. So, care to tell me what happened to Yuyuko? As far as I know, the spirits never acted this way with her around."

"Yes, it was an act of rebellion." Youmu sheathed her sword. "Other than the flower viewing festival, Yuyuko-sama never been interested on leaving Hakugyokurou."

"Until now, apparently." Sakuya finished, keeping her knives as she spoke. "Am I right? Where did she go?"

 _"Youmu-chan. I will need you to keep Hakugyokurou at peace."_

 _"I'm sorry?"_

 _"You know how it is. The two of us can't afford to be out for too long. These spirits have a life, after all, even afrer death had claimed them. I do have a favour to ask of you."_

 _"Yuyuko-sama?"_

 _"Tell Red-White about our situation. I have a feeling that Yukari-chan will be unwilling to put Gensokyo's residents at risk. This matter... It will need all of us. The Outside World doesn't have people like Reimu, Marisa, or even the Lunarians. The enemy is strong, Youmu, and a single me nor even eight nations will be enough to stop him."_

 _"...Understood, mistress. What do you suggest me to do?"_

 _"Ah.. Give her hints about what we will do. Allow the Shrine Maiden of Paradise's curiosity to rise, it's more fun watching her fly around."_

The gardener went silent, complementing her words. The two humans watched her expectantly, waiting before she answered.

"The young mistress went out to take care of some... business."

"Oh?" An eyebrow was raised at this statement. Reimu unfolded her arms, tightening her grip on her Purification Rod. "What kind of business?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the means to tell you, but... She told me you can find answer with Yukari-sama."

"That old hag, huh.."

"If you're going there, can I come?" The maid asked, silently cheering. As it turned out, she did not have to work hard to find a lead for the mistress. "I will need materials to report to Lady Remilia anyway."

"So that's why you're here, huh? That vampire sent you here?"

She nodded. Once again, Reimu sighed deeply, closing her eyes and turned her head towards the ceiling.

"You can come, I guess. This is turning out to be way more complicated than I expected."

"What did you expect? There hasn't been an incident for six months."

"You're right. Ahh.." The shrine maiden rolled her shoulders as she floated upwards to the entrance of the Netherworld, the Elegant Maid trailing behind. "I just want to drink tea and listen to the birds for the whole day."

"Otherwise known as lying around like a sloth. As expected from someone like you."

"Shut up... Don't you dare spread that."

...

 _Clang!_

 _Clang!_

 _Clang!_

The nations stood back as they watched Japan attempting to cut the metal bars with his katana. As it would seem, there was little success other than making whitish scratch marks. Tired and frustrated, the Japanese man stood back, sheathing his sword.

"It's no use." He said, huffing ever so slightly. "My katana can't cut the bars."

"And we can't just use brute strength." Out in the back, Russia lowered his head in disappointment. "Too bad. I do not know what he is up to, but we have to go after him quickly."

At the left of the Asian nation, a soft voice was heard as Canada told them, reminding them. "We can't get out though. Unless, someone opens it from the other side."

"Uh... Guys? There's also another thing I want to tell you guys." Besides the Canadian, America broke into the exchange, scratching his head in something akin to confusion as he furrowed his eyebrows. "It happened when we broke the clock earlier."

"What is it, aru?" Walking to stand next to Japan, China asked, crossing his hands. "We've got all the time, since we stuck here."

"W-Well... I'm not exactly sure on how to explain this..." He took a deep breath, and began explaining. "There's another person in this house. I dunno why, but I've seen her in this... vision when the clock broke."

"But how? We haven't run into anyone else besides us." Germany said, the others nodding in agreement. The Japanese nation asked, frowning in deep thought.

"America-san. How does this person looks like?"

"Well, she looks like-"

He was about to continue when he was broken by a deep but sweet voice, shouting in urgency as footsteps thundered closer to the room they were trapped in.

"It's here! This is where the nations are!"

The door burst open, and three people ran in. The trapped nations could identified the two of the men as Spain and Romano but the third was unfamiliar to them. She wore a pastel blue kimono, with white cherry petals designs on the sleeves and the bottom half of the kimono, wearing black shoes with ribbons. Her wavy pink locks were worn by a blue cap, which held an insignia of some sorts on top, with a thin white veil covering her hair. Maroon eyes gazed at them, an unreadable expression on her face.

What made them stepped back in shock were the fact that there were four glowing orbs hovering behind her, and that her feet were not touching the ground, like a normal person would. The reaction was instantaneous. The American clung onto the person closest to him, who unluckily turned out to be England, and screamed.

"IT'S HER! IT'S THE GHOST! SAVE ME, PLEASE!"

"Get off me, you bloody wanker!"

Meanwhile, Spain, surprised to see them as well, could not help in a tease as he tried to grab the princess's hand, only for it to pass through. It did not faze him though as he continued to wander their side of the room.

"Whoa! What's going on here? Chica, I think we've found a zoo!"

"A... what? I fear that I am foreign to modern concepts of the world."

"You don't know what a zoo is?" A shake of head caused the Spaniard to grin happily, looking like an excited puppy. "Never mind, I'm showing you right now! This must be the world zoo, right? 'Do not touch or feed the nations'?"

"Is he serious, aru?" China whispered to Russia, shaking his head in slight frustration. "This is irritating. Westerners are always like this, aru."

"Tomato bastard!" Romano, who stood next to the ghost, growled and smacked his head. "Remember why we came here, damnit!"

"Oh, that's right!" Spain held out a familiar gleaming key. "Looking for this?"

"The key!" France exclaimed. "Mon dieu, how did you get?"

"We found it in the cave." The Spanish man walked to the cell door and unlocked, letting out the trapped nations. Prussia, who came out after his brother, noticed the odd thing that the Italian had. Right after they finished explaining their side of the story, he decided to ask.

"Wait! The awesome me has a question! Why do you have a flower in your hair, Italy's brother?"

"What?!" Romano growled before his hand touched the flower that the pink haired ghost placed, giving him a sense of calm when he remembered the conversation they had. He grumbled under his breath and looked away, refusing to answer the question. America chose that time to join in the harassment.

"Dude, where did you get that flower? It looks girly on you!"

The two laughed together, ignoring Romano's yelling. A unknown aura crept up between the then nations, causing them to stop their happy moment, glancing around to find the source of it. Yuyuko had her eyes narrowed, red irises glaring as she smiled sadistically, concealing her smile with her red-purple fan. They began to tremble in fear as she spoke.

"Why, it was I who placed the flower there. What's the matter? Do you two have a problem with that?"

"Nein! W-why would you think that, clearly awesome frau?"

"Y-Yeah, dudette! It was just a joke! Just a joke... haha..."

The other nations watched, some even steeping back in caution, though Russia seemed pleased to find someone who could clearly scare people as much as he does. The youkai turned to the Italian, red fading back to maroon. She smiled softly, appearing to be guilty. Reaching out a pale, ghostly hand, she took the flower from behind his ear.

"Could you, perhaps, open your palm, please?"

Not wanting to cross her, Romano opened his hands, and the princess could see a small tinge of fear in his honey brown eyes. With a motherly concern, she gently placed it in his hands, and for once, he could see the hurt in her eyes.

"I apologise you had to see that. I admit, I have a side of me that can be rather... frightening, I'm afraid. Why don't you keep this in your pockets instead? Perhaps it is a much safer place for a fragile flower such as this."

She stepped back, smiling sadly once more as he did what she said. Sensing that Yuyuko needed a cheering up, Spain walked to stand next to her, and tried to hug her, though once again, succeeding in almost tripping in thin air. He beamed at her though, oblivious to the looks of fear the two nations gave.

"Why don't you cheer up, chica? It's not like you to be so sad."

"Indeed. Whatever happened to calling my name?" She giggled, playing with a lock of hair as she turned to face the nations. "I don't believe I have introduce myself yet. Konnichiwa, my name is Yuyuko Saigyouji, Ghost Princess of Hakugyokurou."

She bowed politely, noticing how Japan returned her gesture. The others, though, merely nodded and glanced at each other, as if determining whether she was a friend or foe. Once again, a heavy silence descended upon group of nations and youkai before a soft voice broke it.

"What are you?" Canada asked, tilting his head in curiosity as he hugged his polar bear closer. He did not seem afraid as some of them. "And what is this 'Haku'-whatever you call it?"

The pink haired woman, feeling grateful that someone decided to break the ice, opened her mouth to answer, but was beaten by someone else. Everyone's attention went to said nation.

"Hakugyokurou. Tower of the White Jade. I remember this legend, aru." China placed a hand on his chin, looking thoughtful. "It was said to be the afterlife for artists, aru. Does the place have cherry blossoms?"

"Why, yes, indeed. Rows and rows of cherry blossom, surrounding my home, turning it into a beautiful paradise. Anyone who wish to see the cherry blossom after they passed can do so anytime." Her eyes glittered brightly, pleased at the thought of being remembered. "As for the other question, it is fairly obvious, isn't it? I am a ghost, or if you want a more technical term, a youkai."

"And what is this youkai?"

"A youkai is a term that represent all supernatural. Legends, myths." This time, it was Japan who answered the German's question, closing his eyes as he remembered the definition. "However, it is also known to be just stories, as none of it is real."

"Stories, huh..." Yuyuko chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Such a shame to see how much we have faded into history. Am I just a story to you, Japan? The kappa, the Shinto gods, the exiled princess who hailed from the moon. Is that monster you saw, perhaps, just a story too? Why don't you take a good look at the spirits behind me?! I've realised how much the world have expanded since my time, but the thought of being forgotten? It sickens me. I've seen youkai die because of their lack of belief from the humans. Gods are fading because they rely on people's faith, at which what a miracle is called nowadays are just works of science. "

"I beg of you, please wake up." She brushed past the Japanese nation, almost reaching the door as she finished. "If you still think that they're just bedtime stories, then forgive me. If only there was a way for you to recall those times."

With those last words spoken so quietly, she left as the remaining people pondered on what she said. Romano clicked his tongue in annoyance, leaving as Spain followed him behind. America spoke up, a sullen look on his face.

"Dude, if you ask me, I'd say that was pretty deep."

"And no one did, America." England replied snarkily before turning to face the Japanese man. "As a nation who still highly believes in the superstitious, most of her words rang true. Japan, you should try talking to her when you have the chance. Do try to find out how she come to know you when we didn't even introduced ourselves."

"Hai.." Japan nodded as the nations began leaving the room, concluding the discussion. As he began to follow though, his vision swam as a memory violently assaulted him, forcing him to stagger backwards. Faint voices of the nations were heard as he collapsed, falling deep into unconsciousness.

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **So, uhh... I really need that reference point, guys.**

 **They meet up with the gang, yay~! Poor America, lol. Considering that Yuyuko is a ghost, I'd say the reaction is completely natural. Sorta. And don't blame her for lashing out at Japan like that. She's just sad that-**

 **Ah, what am I saying? Spoilers, and as Yukari said, all will be reveal in due time.**

 **Btw the way, by the time I posted this, I will be facing my March test the following week. At which I won't have any time to do anything other than study. And yes, that includes writing, posting and fooling around, essentially.**

 **Such a shame, I wanted to write more, actually.**

 **Find out in the next chapter!**

 **~Winters**


	6. Ŕëųñîťîñğ Wîťh Ťhë Ñäťîøñ (Plus AN)

**I do not own Hetalia nor do I own Touhou Project**

* * *

 _Chapter V_

 _Reuniting With The Nation_

* * *

It was midnight, the moon hung high in the dark sky filled with twinkling stars. The Gap Youkai appeared once more at the gate of the mansion, with Ran and Chen by her side. The shikigami glanced around her surroundings, before finishing at where her master was gazing at. Yukari had a wistful expression on her face, but the kitsune could see a tinge of anger in her eyes.

"Ran-sama~!" Meanwhile, the brown haired bakeneko looked around excitedly, oblivious to the serious matter as black cat ears that poked out of the green mob cap twitched at the prospect of adventuring. "Can I look around? Pretty please?"

"Just don't go too far." The golden haired kitsune gave a small smile at Chen as she bounced happily, already pouncing off into the woods with what could only be called as a cat's agility.

"Yay~! Thank you!"

"That cat.. Always so unreliable. So, this is where the nations are?" Her master nodded, making Ran observed the mansion that stood beyond the courtyard. "Doesn't look like much, does it?"

"Appearances can be decieving." Yukari hummed, fingers tightening her grip on her parasol. She gazed up at the stars for a moment, before returning back to the rusty gates. "I didn't expect it to be night so fast though. But no matter. You understand what we need to do, right?"

"Yes, Yukari-sama."

The two youkai reached out their hand, and the barrier started glowing. They closed their eyes as waves of magic reacted with the border, trying to manipulate it into destroying itself. They would have succeeded too, if it were not for the fact that they were interrupted abruptly.

"It's so dark, I can't see anything in front of me."

"Wait, what is that?"

"Whatever it is, I'm shooting it with my Peace Prize."

 _Bang! Bang!_

" _Wah~_! Hey, who do you think you're shooting at?!"

"B-big brother! I don't think that's what you think it is!"

 _Bang!_

"W-Wait, miss! Come back!"

"Ran-sama!" Loud sounds and voices followed by a distressed cry reached their ears as Chen ran back to the two youkai, immediately clinging on one of her master's golden tail. "Ran-sama, Yukari-sama! Scary people! There's scary people there!"

The shikigami glanced at her master, a faintly glowing indigo card forming in her right hand. "What should we do? Should we use our spellcards?"

"If it's a yes, then I wanna beat them up for scaring me like that!" Chen knelt on all four of her limbs, her two tails swishing angrily as an orange spellcard appeared in front of her, glowing slightly brighter than the kitsune. "Especially that guy. What a nerve, shooting me like that!"

"There's... more nations coming?" The blonde woman murmured in surprise, before shaking her head. "No need for it. We're not here to make enemies, just to dispel the border and the curses inside. Besides, they shouldn't be able to see us anyway. Let us go into the forest and work on the barrier there."

...

Yuyuko's eyes widened in minor shock as a couple of the nation ran up the stairs into the first floor of the mansion. Russia was carrying what it appeared to be the still form of Japan in his arms, followed quickly by China, who gave her a somewhat accusing look as he passed by her. She glanced at a person wearing a green military uniform and had large eyebrows, asking silently. Noticing her gaze, he shook his head, wanting to have the conversation later.

"We should probably spilt into groups of three." Germany said, crossing his arms. "We can find Italy easier this way."

The nations nodded in agreement, but Romano scowled, not even bothering to hide his displeasure. "As if. I'm not going anywhere near you, potato bastard. I'd rather- bella, what's wrong?"

Everyone turned to the now dark princess, and her lack of glowing from her translucent form unnerved the nations. Even the pale white spirits around her turned a shade of red, dimming as well. America could not help but released a terrified squeak as the pink haired ghost seemed to be staring blankly ahead, unknown to the stares as she seemed elsewhere.

"Yuyuko?" Cautiously, he snapped his fingers in front of her. "Can you hear me?"

The Italian's question though appeared to have an impact, as she snapped out of her trance and glanced sharply at the spirits behind her, a look of pure panic on her normally calm features.

"Get him out of that room! _Now!_ " Yuyuko cried out. All four ghostly orbs shot forward and through the door before she herself flew up as well, a brightly glowing pink card materialising within her hand. "We need to hurry! I sense two dark spirits on the second floor!"

The rest ran after her without hesitation, trying to catch up with her speed. The nations ran up the stairs and turned left, where a commotion was heard at the end of the hallway. One of the doors opened, where a gasping nation was pulled out by the spirits, eyes drooping dangerously close.

"Italy!"

"E..every..one... Even.. fratello.." Bloodied and bruised, the nation's attention focused on the approaching group of people. He almost fell too, had not for the fact that Germany was there to catch him. "Why... Why did you.."

"Why did you lock us in there?" The German man looked devastated after seeing his condition. The auburn haired Italian chuckled weakly, gritting his teeth to hold in the pain as he answered.

"I.. I have to do that.. because.. I know.. you wouldn't.. listen.." He gave a broken smile at the nations, loosening his grip on his best friend. "Besides.. I don't mind.. playing the bad guy.. sometimes.."

"But why?!" Romano knelt down to face his younger brother, yelling as unwilling tears streamed down his cheeks. "You stupid, stupid idiota! Why can't you just wave your flag like you always did?"

"Because.. I know that it's useless... I'm so sorry.. Roma..no.." The auburn haired Italian's eyes closed, his breathing slowed down as he fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. The rest of the people present crowded on Italy immediately, but one. The ghost princess stayed where she was, red irises scanning the surrounding area before widening.

"Get back!"

An inhuman screech pierced the hallway as two gigantic beasts, grey in colour, appeared, one approaching in the hallway while the other exiting the room Italy was in. Black pupiless gazes stared soullessly at the nations and youkai as the men stood, stepping back slowly.

"W-what.. The hell? Why are there two of them?!"

America tried to fire bullets to the monster in the hallway, but it seemed to do little effect as it still kept its slow approach on them. France and Prussia drew their weapons, assuming a battle stance as the group was slowly backed into a corner.

"This is so unawesome."

"How are we going to get out of this situation?"

The two men ended up standing next to the youkai, who had her gaze kept at the beasts as she deeply complemented her next move. It was fairly obvious what the mastermind wanted her to do. Yuyuko glanced at Italy, who was held protectively by the blond nation. Their eyes met, and she gave a soft smile, despite their grim situation.

"The gift of friendship is truly a priceless treasure, is it not? Even in these dark times?"

Confused by her words, Germany nodded slowly, unsure what to make of it, but it appeared to be enough for her. He saw a hint of resolution and satisfaction in those red irises before the owner of those eyes closed them. She turned back to the monsters, who were approaching by the second. Step by step, the remaining nations were slowly backed into the corner of the hallway.

"Listen well, the both of you."

France and Prussia, keeping the gazes set on the beast, nodded and said nothing as she continued.

"What matters now is the survival of our friends, right? I must ask of you to do this. I will distract them and lead the fight someplace else, while you get everyone to safety. Do you understand?"

"But what about you, ma cherie?"

"Me?" The youkai smiled sadistically. "It doesn't matter what will happen to me. I have been dead for a long time. But," She closed her eyes, sighing through her nose. "If you wish to help me, I'll be downstairs. Only come after everyone is safe, understand?"

Her red eyes pierced their gazes and they nodded as they started to back up. The ghostly orbs that had been so still behind her started to move rapidly, as if preparing for something. With a wave of her closed fan, steady rows of magical bullets materialized and shot towards the beast. Yuyuko nimbly dodged the fist of the closer monster as she flew past it, successfully diverting its attention away from the nations. The grey beasts chased after her as they all disappeared around the corner.

"What on Earth was that?" England murmured, mystified by the show of magic. Just using a fireball spell was hard enough for him in this place. For her to shoot those small bullets of magic with little to no effort at all..

"Come!" The French nation's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "We have to get you to the safe room!"

….

"So, here we are."

The Ghost Princess stood at the far wall of the living room. Her plan had worked after all, and at the same time confirming a suspicion of hers. The monsters, upon entering the room and realising that she was alone, started to approach slowly, as if to scare her.

Foolish beings. She had been dead for a thousand years to be intimidated by anything. Even back when she was alive, a past life that she remembered so fleetingly until _that_ incident, she was not one to be afraid of anything.

Yuyuko kept a dark smirk on her lips, an amused glint in her eyes.

"This is rather amusing, is it not? Do not think that I am one so easily intimidated by your appearance, for I can see, the lost souls you truly represent beneath that horrifying look."

Her still heart ached. One of the spirits turned a dark shade of purple as she gave a sad smile.

"You do not wish to be controlled, do you? You, like many others, came because you were curious, right?" One of the grey beast seemed to paused before continuing its advance. "Heh. The ignorance of humanity continues to sadden me even now. So be it. Heed my words, mastermind, for I know you are listening, like the _sick bastard you are_."

At that moment, the door behind the beasts opened, revealing to be the familiar forms of France, Prussia, Spain, America and England. They stilled immediately, muscles tensing upon noticing the monsters with their backs faced to them as they approached the lone woman at the far end of the room. They started to move to stand by her side when a flash of light caught their attention instead.

Yuyuko narrowed her eyes in concentration and opened her intricate fan, causing the glow of a circle with the same insignia on her mob cap illuminated the floor underneath her feet. A giant fan of the same design formed behind her, making the English nation widened his eyes at the magic display.

"I will lift the curse of this mansion," She growled, her eyes glowing a bright red. The pink card that was in her hand began to glow even brighter. "I will release all the lost spirits that you have damned and lastly, I will make sure you pay for your sinful acts."

The pink haired ghost raised the hand that bear the card, mouth opening to speak out the spell when..

"Chica!"

"You guys.. What.."

A flicker of surprise momentarily filtered through her face as the youkai finally noticed the nations. Unfortunately, the shout had also gave out unwanted attention. The monsters, seeing their closest targets behind them, swiped an attack, at which Spain blocked it with his battleaxe. He grunted under the force of the attack, prompting the albino nation and France to assist him.

The other two, dodging the other beast's attacks, ran to stand next to Yuyuko.

"Listen, dudette. I hope you got a plan."

"Of course I do." She glanced briefly at the American before jumping left to dodge a pounding smash from their opponent. "I just haven't anticipated that you would arrive so soon."

"And when exactly did you think we'd come?"

"Well..." The ghost in question paused to consider England's inquiry, and after a moment, sheepishly smiled. "Perhaps after I was done defeating these beasts? I can't risk everyone's lives in jeopardy after all."

The man in green military outfit sweatdropped. That sounded like a certain someone whom he was _very_ familiar with, albeit it was worded _very_ differently. America fired a couple of shots and Yuyuko shot a stream of magic bullets, both hoping to do damage to the monster. It did, just a little bit.

"Using one of my spellcards could potentially be dangerous to those who doesn't know how to dodge it." Sensing the unasked question, the youkai explained, effortlessly shooting out more bullets. "So I needed to get to a secluded place, away from the others so that I can perform with full impact on the beasts without worrying about the safety of the nations. But I did not expect you to arrive so soon."

England nodded and yelled out a spell, conjuring a fireball towards the monster. It seemed to do a little more damage than before.

"So… What is a 'spellcard'?"

She glanced at America, chuckling as she held up the card she was holding.

"The two of you want to help, yes?" They nodded. "Get the others away as soon as possible and find a place to hide. I fear I might accidentally target you too."

England directed a puzzled frown at her. "Just how strong is your magic?"

"Compared to the rest of Gensokyo?" Yuyuko hummed and smiled fondly, clearly remembering the fights she had gotten herself in with a certain few that she knew of. "Decent, I'd say. Ah~, the flower viewing festivals are always so fun with a few spellcards thrown about. Anyway, are we clear on the plan?"

That particular statement made him wonder if these 'flower viewing festivals' were as crazy as the World Meetings.

The spirits seemed to huddle closer to the pink haired ghost as the nations nodded. The youkai gave a side glance at the translucent orbs and smiled, an unreadable glint in her eyes. Yet, England saw a hint of helplessness before it quickly faded for him to confirm. The American froze, blue eyes snapping to where the spirits were floating.

"I understand what Yukari said, and know very well of the consequences." She murmured softly, hoping it was quiet enough from the keen ears of the distracted nations as they fought the beast. "But this needs to be done. I can only hope I will have enough power to even stay conscious after this."

Loudly, she asked innocently. "Is everyone ready?"

England gave a curt nod, but the American nation kept silent.

"Before we start though, Yuyuko," He glanced apprehensively at her. "I could give you some of my magic power, if you wish. I feel that it's not right for a woman to do this alone."

"I will be fine, dear friend. Just work on finding cover."

By her mark, the duo sprinted to their friends' aide, helping them and briefly explaining their plan. Yuyuko kept herself busy momentarily by swiftly stepping aside whilst gathering as much as power as she could. The Outside World, after all, bore little of its usual atmospheric magic in the air as opposed to the air in her homeland.

Just as she saw the nations safely hidden behind the kitchen counter, with two wounded beasts approaching her, the Ghost Princess smirked deviously, hand poised directly in front of her.

 _You wish for a magic show, now you have one._

"Let the show begin. ' _ **Lunatic Card~ Flowery Soul 'Butterfly Delusion**_ '."

The glowing pink card seemed to distinguished like a flame burning and rising into the air. The nations peeked from their positions, wonder etched on their faces as smaller, white bullets that formed arrows shot out of her, followed quickly by circular waves of bright blue orbs. Then, she waved her illuminated fan, and long, wispy trails came out of it and attacked the monsters, detonating like a bomb in a burst of red, purple and blue butterflies.

"Woah.. So that's what a spellcard is." America, momentarily distracted from his inner turmoil, stared with wide eyes, amazed at what he was seeing. He promptly ducked when a stray bullet almost hit him in the face. The others nodded in agreement. "Looks awesome! I wonder if I can do something like that!"

"It looks highly dangerous too." England muttered under his breath.

"Oh, Angleterre." The French man, having heard of his words, spoke up. "Do you not see the beauty beneath that spell? Or are you just too blind to see it? It's magnifique, unlike your tacky spells."

"Shut up, you bloody git." He hissed back, gritting his teeth in an attempt to hold himself back from tackling the flamboyant man. "And to think that Japan has this under his sleeves.. What else could he be hiding?"

The grey monsters moved, letting out a loud shriek as they tried to dodge the small and impossibly dense bullets. The pink haired ghost directed the ghostly trails to the beasts while nimbly sidestepped as the closer opponent made an effort to attack her, detonating again and again with every wave of the small, delicate fan.

With a soft grunt, and the glow of the giant fan behind her flickering like a diminishing lightbulb, Yuyuko focused her aim as best as she could until finally, after what it felt like a long time, the beasts faded out of existence like ghosts.

" _ **Spell dissolve.**_ "

Like a flick of the switch, the glowing orbs dispersed into nothing, as if they never even existed. The nations came out of hiding, staring at her with varying expressions. She gazed back at them, the redness in her irises fading back to a dark maroon. The pink haired youkai gave a grin, swaying slightly.

"That, America, is what the residents of my homeland… call a…"

The youkai did not finished her sentence.

"Whoa, Yuyuko!"

"Dudette!"

With the floating fan vanishing without a trace, she started to fall backwards, her red-purple fan falling out of her grip. Instinctively, as well as being the two closest to the pink haired youkai, America and Spain sprinted forward, reaching out for her.

Her still form phased through the Spaniard's arms like always, but her wrist certainly felt tangible enough as the other manage to hold her somehow. The American cradled her, listening to the soft and even breathing the ghost emitted. Huh.. She seemed so alive for someone who was dead.

"How did you do that?" Spain asked, pure curiousity in his green eyes. America only shrugged helplessly in reply.

"I don't know. Let's just get to the safe room."

The brown haired nation nodded and stood. Yuyuko felt ice cold in his hands, the blonde American mused as he stood before flinching involuntarily, an odd, disturbing look on his face as he stared at the four spirits that floated around them.

...

"Eirin."

"..."

"Hey, Eirin..."

"Princess.."

"..Yeah?"

"Might I ask on why you're here?"

The exiled Lunarians stood in an advanced laboratory, filled with machines with unknown uses. Eirin Yagokoro, Sage of the Moon, had her eyes drawn on a number of photos on the desk on the side corner of the room, away from the machines. On the other hand, the former Princess of the Moon, Kaguya Houraisan, peeked over her shoulder, trying to get a glimpse on what was on the table. With a sigh, the first generation Lunarian turned to face her as the black haired woman answered, concern lacing her voice.

"I'm just curious, Eirin. I haven't seen you outside, and you're just stay copped up inside. It's been a month, Reisen's getting worried, you know?"

"Oh.. I'm sorry, princess." Her expression softened as she gave an apologetic look at Kaguya. "It's just.."

"What?" She glanced down at the pictures, eyebrows furrowing. "What's the big deal about the moon? Didn't we decide to forget that long ago?"

"Ah, this is the Lunar's phases in the Outside World."

"...So...?"

"For the past four years or so."

"Oh..." Then the words processed, and the princess gazed at her in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"Let me explain." Patient and used to the princess blunt ways, Eirin smiled. "Lately, I've had this... feeling that something is wrong. So, I decided to file through the old pictures dating from last year. You know how it is, I like to keep an eye on them."

Kaguya nodded as the other continued, gesturing to the pile of papers.

"As you can see here, this is the result. Confused, I went further into the archive, until I reached to four years ago, where this event seemed to started. But this is the interesting part. Lunar's position kept changing to the same phases over and over again. And then," Eirin took out two pictures amongst the others, depicting the moon rabbits doing patrols on the surface of the moon. It looked the same, hough the only difference were the date on the bottom right of the photos. "The Lunarians also seem to be doing the same things too. Same activities, same patrol soldiers, and even same food I noticed."

"...Same food?" The bamboo cutter sweatdropped, giving a nervous grin. As far as she remembered, the Lunarians' base of operations were underground. "How did you know that, I wonder?"

"..I have my ways, princess."

"But, anyway," She picked up the a few of the pictures, inspecting them. "Whoa, that's so cool! Look at them doing the same stuff! It's like time keeps repeating itself!"

"What? No! What are you-" Then, the Lunarian paused as she brainstormed, spreading out the photos throughout the desk as she gestured wildly, trying to explain her thoughts aloud. "Ok, The moon takes approximately twenty seven days to complete one rotation around the Earth. Yet these same phases-" She pointed a very particular pattern, the yellow glow of the full moon. "- keeps repeating. The full moon lasts for at least two days, three at most. If what you say is true, princess, then- then.."

She faced the former Moon Princess, dark grey eyes gleaming with excitement.

"You know what's the purpose of the full moon, right?"

"The highest peak of a youkai power, of course. Why do you think we decided to screw with those people that night?"

"Ah, the answer is so simple, after all." She turned to face the door, long silver hair in a large braid bouncing as she walked to the exit. The princess watched after her, whining childishly.

"Wait, Eirin~! Where are you going?"

"To get Reisen, that's what! We need to fetch the Elegant Maid here. She had plenty of knowledge about time manipulation, after all."

"Eh? Her? But I don't like her!" The door closed and Kaguya sighed, smiling happily. "Well, anything to get her out of this lab is good enough, I suppose."

...

The room was dark. It was hard to discern anything, but if one were to squint carefully, they would see that the room was large, enormous even. In the far end of the area, one could see the glow on a particular object. This light caught the eyes of two figures, whose features remained unknown. The first figure, who held the item in her hands, smiled wickedly as she spoke, a pleasant feminine voice filled with a disturbing sense of curiousity in her tone.

"So that's the power of spellcards, huh? Intriguing, I must admit."

Shining on the object was a vision of a certain group of trapped nations, along with an unconscious ghost. The second figure, obsidian irises gazing at the knife, gave a soft chuckle, his deep voice echoing the large room.

"I must question why you did that, sister? It might have cost us the element of surprise, and two souls."

"Brother dearest, I merely want to limit her power. Even with the curse active, she's too strong to be a player in this game, and you know how that goes. We need to level the field. Just like what we did with that nation. And look how well that turned out. Heh, even becoming blind in some rounds." Her smile widened, a hint of red eyes appearing underneath her hood. "Besides, I want to test how a lunatic card looks like, compared to those absurd normal and easy cards we've seen."

They watched as the group entered the metal door in one of the rooms on the same floor. She waved a hand over the knife, and the image changed to the fight launched by them. The woman sighed wistfully. "Look at that, brother. Isn't that beautiful?"

"Magnificent, even." He replied, a hint of wonder in his voice as they watched the spellcard being executed, the butterflies bursting like a dangerous substance as it attacked the monsters. "I wonder how the others looks like."

"Probably just as exquisite, I presume. Death, after all, is the most beautiful ending of all. Assuming she has enough power to perform another lunatic card." She glanced at her brother, authority in her voice. "Strengthen the barrier, brother. I sense a certain hag trying to shatter it. If you failed to do so, then strengthen the curses and hide it with magic. I will not allow the game to be incomplete."

"Understood, sister." As he turned to leave, he heard her whisper, giggling as she changed the image again to show a certain ghost and nation.

"Huhu.. The stage is set, the pieces are in place. What will become of the main leads, huh~?"

* * *

 _Chapter End~_

* * *

 **Goddamnit. Just goddamnit.**

 **Just to let you know, I am still alive and most certainly not dead. A little obstacle called life got into my way and probably will continue to do so until December. If there are any readers from Determi-Nation who happened to be reading this, know that I will put that story, along with this, on hold until probably December.**

 **And what art thou reason, you may ask with a horrible British accent.**

 **Easy. Examinations. With a 's', mind you. That one word that strike fear into the hearts of many. I'm actually going through some tough times with the exams, and I kinda need to study for it. As a result, I accidentally put everything on a temporary hiatus, unintentionally, I assure you. The days passed by so fast.**

 **As of right now, fanfictions are not my top priority, unfortunately. I still read them, but it's more for the stress relief than anything. God, the mental strain its putting in my mind, one day I might just shut down.**

 **Basically, yeah. That's it, I guess. So, erm, ciao, I guess, until December.**


End file.
